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Imagine a woman covered from head to toe, with only her eyes visible through the black cloth she wears. This image often evokes notions of female oppression, suppression of identity, and even misogyny. But not in the case of Asheen, a 25-year-old visionary designer and makeup artist from southern Iraq, Basra. Challenging these negative perceptions around traditional Iraqi and Islamic clothing, Asheen makes high-fashion statements of radical self-expression and identity.
Her journey began at 12 years old, during the festivities of "Gergee'an," a celebration on the 15th night of Ramadan. Children dress in traditional attire and go door to door asking neighbors for sweets and nuts. There, Asheen encountered a metallic-looking fashion mask called the "Burqa," which covers the upper half of the face, framing the eyes, and worn by women in southern regions of Iraq.
"I remember that night I enjoyed wearing it so much that I kept it on until the following day," Asheen reminisced. And so, her fascination with the Niqab began, a fascination that would later translate into transforming this traditional piece of Iraqi heritage into modern works of art.
"I kept wearing it every now and then until I grew up," she said. "As you can tell by the photographs on my account, the Burqa is always present but not in a conventional way, but as an innovative mixture between tradition and modernity.
Fostering inspiration from Hollywood movies and Anime, combined with her love for traditional Iraqi and Islamic attire, Asheen utilizes her artistic vision and natural eye for beauty and design to present the Burqa in a modernized fashion. "I managed to bring a more Westernized and cinematic style to the traditional Burqa," Asheen said. "It has appealed to people here in Iraq; every now and then, I receive messages complimenting my work and encouraging me to continue."
Alongside the Burqa, other traditional Iraqi and Islamic attire is present in Asheen’s work as well, notably the "Abaya," a flowy piece of black cloth covering a woman’s body from head to toe, dating back to the Abbasid era, and the "Khimar," a piece of black cloth worn on the face to cover it from the nose down. Breathing new life into these monochromatic garments, Asheen infuses them with splashes of gold and radiant colors, while her eyes peek through, illuminating with emotion and character, framed by her exquisite and bold makeup skills. Thus, she reclaims these traditional garments as symbols of empowerment and self-expression.
"When I first started the account, my goals weren’t gaining likes or comments; I was solely motivated by presenting my ideas to the public, and I didn’t receive any backlash; on the contrary, people were very supportive.” The young designer explained when asked about the public reception her art received.
Asheen’s work and vision are a testimony to the power of art in altering narrative and how the global language of fashion and beauty can salvage pieces of heritage and tradition that could be lost in translation and present them in an authentic and positive light that celebrates diversity and culture.
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